Straight-line hull



M. F. HILL STRAIGHT LINE HULL Original Filed March 15 19 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 TTORNEYS Jan. 22 1924.

M. F. HILL STRAIGHT LINE HULL Original Filed March 15 19 ELE' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS Jan. 22. 1924! M. F. HILL STRAIGHT LINE HULL Original Filed March 15, 1918 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 41/ ATTORNEY :Patented Jan. 22, 192 5.

s'rarss MYRON 1i. HILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STRAIGHT-LINE HULL.

Application filed March 15, 1918, Serial No. 222,567.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that LMYRoN F. HILL, cit-v izen of the United States, residing at the city of New York. county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straight-Line Hulls, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to ships and the particular object of the present invention is to build a ship of sections, each section including comparatively thin platingand longitudinal and transverse ribs or frames to stiffen the plating, the sections being adapted to be joined in strakes, thejoints being reinforced by the framing members overlapping the plating members, the stiffeners being in position to reinforce the joints, the strakes thus formed being then joined together from stem to stern progressively thus forming a ship having a coinparatively light shell, stiffened longitudi nally by a series of continuous ribs and by a series of continuous transverses. The straight lines of the hull in the forward and after bodies make possible uniformtypes of castings. I

It is useful for fabricating a ship, either by riveting processes with rolled plate or by casting the ship in sections. One of the objects of my invention is to design sections so that the same form of section may be used for substantially the entire sides of a ship from stem to stern, and another form for substantially all the bottom sections from stem to stern. These sections may be straight line castings, except perhaps for the bilge, and such straight line castings may be utilized without bending, if necessary, in which case the bow and stern of the ship will present a series of somewhat flat faces to the water, which coincide closely with the curve of those portions. The differentiation between such flat surfaces and the curve is so slight as probably to have less effect in the way of resistance to the progress of the hull through water than the usual lap joints.

These somewhat flat sections may, however, under suitable pressure, be bent to the correct curve thereby securing a perfect and flush hull throughout. The bending of the sections for this purpose is very slight and. may be done under a hydraulic press, and

Renewed June 14, 1923.

the bending, doubtless, is not much more than is required for straightening castings which sometimes warp in cooling. This process may be applied also to sections formed of straight, flat, riveted plates and frames or to sections formed of straight, flat, rolled plates and frames welded together to produce sections, such. for example, as are shown and described in the drawings. These sections are capableof being twisted somewhat in order to secure the differences in curvature of the forward and after bodies. It is well known that, if a large plate of roll metal lies fiat upon the ground and one corner is-lifted, the plate bends from that corner towards the diagonal of the opposite corner without that other corner changing its position. Taking, for example, a rectangular plate and forming a girder along one edge normal to the plate, the plate is capable of a similar twisting action, and the girder also becomes slightly twisted, while both plate and girder become curved. The girder does not vary in its normal relation to the plate at any point. If another series of girders are formed upon the plate normal to it and at right angles to the first mentioned girder, we have a section of the 'Isherwood type of ship construction in which the first mentioned girder corresponds tothe transverse of a side section or floor of a bottom section,

or beam of a deck section of a ship, and the series of girders correspond to the longitudinals. It is possible to bend such a plate in much the same way, although the longitudinal girders greatly limit the amount of bending. This bending is not of the kind which changes the molecular relation of the steel, but is merely springing the plate from one position to another, and when the strain is removed the section reassumes its flat form. Such sections are suitable for building ships. The section may be also given a permanent bending under suitable pressure which in sections of 10 feet or so in length in the direction of the longitudinals, varies from a straight line very slightly. The different longitudinals in such a case have curves permanently formed to suit the different water levels of the ship in the formed or after bodies of the ship. Those portions of the ship close to the stem or stern posts,

or along buttocks, may be formed of separate castings or, where the slight extent of metal does not warrant making molds, by small sections or rolled metal welded to each other and then welded into the ship if desired.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a midship section showing a plan for assembling the sections.

Fig. 2 shows general direction of the lines where the transverses meet the shell in the forward and after bodies.

Figs. 3, 1 and 5 show the form of keel construction and its attachmentto the stem and stern posts.

Fig. 6 indicates in diagram the approximate location of where the transv'erses and floors meet the shell in themiddleand after bodies.

Fig. 7 indicates the same members in the forward and middle bodies.

Fig. 8 is a section upon line 8S. Fig. 1, indicating how an altcrnate'floor and a part of the tank top may be cast together and assembled ready for welding.

Fig. 9 is an inside elevation-of a section ofthe side hull.

Fig. 10 is anend ele *ation of the same.

Fig. 11 isan end elevationof-a bottom section.

'FigQlQ is' a plan view of a bottom section.

Fig. 13 is an end view of'a deck section.

-Fig. 14 is an under plan view of a deck section.

Fig. 15 isan end view of a tanktop section.

In Figure 1 a suitablekeelfi), which may be a casting in H-form, shown'also. in Fig. 3, is first laid when assemblingthe sections ofa ship. This keel may be formed of as many sections .as may be desired dovetailed, end to end, as shown in-Fi 3 where the center girder member 10 of'one keel;

section is welded to the corresponding center girder member 11 of the next keelsection. It is also welded, totheke'el plate 12 and: to the top plate 13 forming partbf the tank top. The edges 14 are -welded-together, also the edges 15 forming; a-keel dovetailed section of great strength :and rigidity. Aflship of 400 feet in length..-for example. may have 11 such sections with an extra section 16 attached to the stem post 17 and an extra section 18 attached to the stern post 19. these extra sections and posts forming the rest of the length of the backbone of the ship. In the section 16 the bottom keel is tapered off at 20 to meet the edges of the shell sections and the top plate V is likewise tapered o'ii zit-21' to meet the shell at. these points. The stem'17 may have-an edge 22 welded to the edge-23 of the center g rder portion of section 16, and the top plate maybe cleft and welded to the two .e itndinals and a floor 36. p of the floor preferably along one edge. of the sides of the stem as indicated at 2-1. The stem is cut away at to fit against the keel plate of the section 16. All meeting edges throughout the ship are preferably beveled and welded to the parts which they meet by single or double V-joints. Joints upon the, exterior of the ship are caulked flat, and inside the ship may be built up to give extra strength where advisable.

For a ship having no tank top, the keel sections need have no top plating 13 and may be of the same shape as the bottom sections, namely the bottom plating 12 similar to the bottom plating 3?) and a girder-incinber '11 similar to the longitudinals 'we'ld'ed thereto to meet the sides'of the shell where they converge toward the stern post.

These finsmay bec'arried forward to meet the longiti'idinals and may merge into the longitudinals and preferably are carried forward to the point where the bulbs on the longitudinals of the two sides of the s'hipmeet each'other over the'center axis of the ship, the longitudinals being cut off to fit. 'Sim-ilar webs may be. if desired caston or welded to the stem.

The bottom section. as shown in side'elevation in Figure 11 and in'plan view in Figure 12. comprises a bottom shell portion 33. a portion of a side girder-341.-bottom lon- The location section is shown more particularly in Figs. 8 andlZ-and. is provided with a pro erting These floorsare shown in sectional "view in Fig. 8.

The shell portion may be cast dates indicated inbroken lines 33* (Fig. 1). and thereafter bent around'the curved ends :of 1 the floors and welded to them.

,Notches 39.-to receive tank ton lon itudinals.-:a.re also provided. The tanktop may also be cast. orformed in any suitable way in sections including as portions of the tank top 40, the alternate 41 which are -end37 adapted. to dovetail into a side of the -.5 preferably the intermediates between the floors 36 and the longitudinals 42 which support the tank top and notches 42 to receive the bottom longitudinals as indicated in Fig. 15. tending to the tank top is also preferably formed either during the casting, or afterwards by cutting, to lit over the side girder 34, the two parts of the floor then being welded to the side girder by the usual V- joints. The bottom sections shown inFigs. 11 and 12 and the sections shown in Fig. 13 are assembled somewhatapart from the k el and then. gradually pushed. into position so that they dovetail with the keel, a process facilitated by vollu mounts. and as fast as they are located welding begins and they are welded together. They may be welded in spots until the double bottom has been faired up and then permanently welded.

The side sections may be erected upon the bottom sections, and the transverses welded either to the tank top. or to the floors 36, the tank top being notched for the purpose and then welded to the transverses. Side sections assembled on bottom sections are indicated in Fig. 1, the tank top sections being omitted for the sake of clarity of the drawings. In the middle body of the hull the side sections are flat and straight throughout. The tank top may be thickened along the margin for a good margin plate. Suitable brackets 44 may be welded to the transverscs 43 and to the tank top or floors 36.

Deck portions may have the plan view on the under side asshown in Fig. 14. Fig. 13 is an end view of a deck section, the portion 45 forming the deck, the girder 46 forming the deck beam a-ndthe longitudinals 47 supporting the deck. lilargin plate sec tions may be cast with the deck sections as indicated at 45 The deck sections may be assembled across the ship before or after the erection of the side sections. In case they are erected before the side sections they are mounted upon stanchions and welded into place and properly faired up to receive the side sections which are then assembled and welded into place. There may be one, two, or more decks as may be desired. The deck beams may be strengthened at their joints with the transverses by suitable knees 52 shown in Fig. 1.

The hatches 48 may be separately formed, by casting or otherwise. and welded to portions of deck sections, preferably before the deck sections are lifted into place. These hatches may be formed complete and welded to a series of deck sections, or they may be formed in parts corresponding to the. deck sections and the different portions welded to the deck sections before erection.

Figs. 2. 6 and 7 indicate in diagram the organization of the side and bottom sections in additional notch 44 X.

of the forward and after bodies. The bot tom and side sections are so located that the transverses and floors are normal to the shell. the profiles of these members where the merge with the shell being indicated in these figures. The lines 49 show how the transverses along the shell sides remain in almost straight lines (except for the slight tortional twist). At the bottom they merge, by welding, into the floors 36, so that the transverses and floors lie almost in planes normal to the shell and, therefore. have a somewhat radial relation to each other, which depend for their direction upon the curves selected for the shell, the transverses and floors of each section making substantially the same. angle with their respective side or bottom plating. It will thus be understood that the transverse members in a converging curved end of the one side of a. hull are not parallel and that if carried to the keel they meet there at different angles. The lines 50 represent the approximate. lines of weld between the sideand bottom sections. The portions of the line between the transverses or floors may, if desired, be straight or slightly curved to the approximate theo retical curve of the hull, since the lines 49 in Fig. 2- are tangential to the moulded curve ofthe bilge. It will be noted that the shell of the bottom sections is trimmed at 50 in the forward and after bodies along the line of weld, and the space between the shell and the curved end of a floor, if any, may be filled in by welding.

It will be noted that in the forward and after bodies the sections need not be rectangular in form but may have one or more inclined edges. The. inclined edges accommodate the radial relation of the floors or transverses or sections comprising them. In the extreme stem and stern portions the meeting point of the side shell sections and the curved bilge is continued. in tangential relation, the curved portions being cut away as indicated at 53 and 54. Fig. 2, and the locations of the centers of the curves 54 being lying in the arc 55 at different points such. for example, as those represented by crosses. The radius of this are is preferably the same as the radiusof the curve of the bilge which curvature is continuous through out the bilges from stem to stern and its center isin the base line and central vertical plane of the ship. The POItiOIls of the after body at the angle 53 may be cast in separate molds or may be formed of rolled metal welded into place or otherwise fabricated and inserted in the hull, the rest of the portions of the sections of the after body being formed in the flat molds already referred to.

It will be noted that some of the sections are rectangular and some irregular in formation and some sections are shorter and some are longer, some are tapered and in some it is desirable to omit the longitudinals which might interfere with the location of margin plates, stringers or the fins upon the stem and stern posts in which case fillers may be located in the molds to prevent'the flow of metal to those parts of the molds; or the same forms or castings may be made throughout and cut to site with the oxyacetylene flame, in which case the edges are preferably thereafter chipped with a pneuand longitudinals to'form a forecastle deck.

In Fig. 2 the poop may also be formed of a series of vertical sections 52 of similar form to a forecastlesection-except th at they need not be flared. The stern of the ship shown at 54 in Fig: 6 may consist of rolled metal of the usual construction riveted'together, or of rolledplates welded together and Welded to the rest of the shell along the lines 52".

In Fig. 1 the bottom sections on the left hand side have the longitudinals and side girder portions 34 approaching the observer -wliereas the similar portions of the sections on the right hand side have the longitudinals and side girder parts located. on the sides of the floors 36 away from the ob server. The same is true of the longitudi nals .23 upon the opposite vertical side sections of the ship. but the tran verse bulbs at 43 have a reversed relation. Bythis arrangement the sections upon the two sides of the ship may be cast in the same molds.

Where the transverse interferes with the connection at the extremity of the ship it is omittedin casting or removed from the section after being cast. The bottom. tank top and deck sections at the ends are preferably managed similarly.

While I havedescribed my invention with relation to casting steel sections, which is the form in which I desire to build my ship, it is obvious that this form of bull presentingas it does a straight line construction may be utilized for building ships. by other processes than that of casting. It is of great utility for fabricating ships by sections in bridge or other structural ships such for example, as those accustomed to the erection. of buildings, from which they may be transported to ship yards where they may be rapidly erected and joined together by any new or well known process as heretofore suggested. Such sections of fabricated construction may remain flat and so assembled in the ship, and such flat, sections when joined together at almost imperceptible angles require no joggling or bending of angle iron, the parts being preferably riveted by butt straps or angles throughout forming a hull of superior efficiency.

lVhen sections are given the exact curvature the particular form of hull herein proposed presents lines of superior speed. The form of bull itself. regardless oi: how it is made. is also an invention of considerable value, consisting as it does of sheet metal frames manufactured in certain straight lines. When the side portions meet the bottom portions, as herein described, a basis is provided for many systems of rapid ship construction and furnishes a ship which saves power over many other forms of ships. The curves of the bilge being continuous throughout limits the work to bedone upon curved portions to the minimum. the only other curvature requiring special attention being the small angle of the shell at the buttocks. When matching the sections care should betaken to have the longitudinals more or less in registration with each other and when assembling the bottom sections the side girder portions of the sections should also be properly aligned, the boundaries of the sections being formed to suit. In the forward and after bodies theside girder converges toward the keel and when it comes too close to the keel it may be tapered ofi or omitted, either by putting fillers in the mold or cutting the castings.

It will be noted that in twisting the forward and after side sections their top lines rise upward from the base line of the ship. This furnishes an opportunity to carry the decks upward. forward and aft, for the sheer of the ship. along the tops of the sections on any line selected for the sheer. The molds preferably are made large enough to accommodate the largest size of casting of any given form and when the castings are lesser in dimension either the molds may be filled by fillers or the castings may be trimmed, according to practicability with relation to each particular section.

What I claim is: v

1. In a ship. a backbone composed of a cast H-section of cast metal molded in sections, each having a center girder member of one section dovetailed between the keel plate and tank top portions of the backbone of the next section and secured thereto and to the next portion of the center girder and having the tank top and keel plate edge portions of the backbone of one section secured to the corresponding members of the next section.

2. Ina ship composed of sections,a double bottom formed of two series of standardized sections; the sections of one series ineluding alternate floors and the shell. and the sections of the other series including the tank top and intermediate floors, fitted and secured together Z-fashion to form the said double bottom.

3. The combination claimed in eiaim 2, having longitudinals on each series of sections With slots in the floors of the opposite 10 sections to receive them.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

MYRON F. HILL. 

